The investigation began after Independence police were summoned Aug. 11 to Centerpoint Medical Center where emergency room personnel said Raps weighed about 70 pounds and had severe bedsores on her buttocks and legs. Her hair was matted and she had a yeast infection underneath a breast, according to court records.

Police said the couple's residence in the 1000 block of South Cedar Avenue was infested with roaches and flies. They found the recliner covered in feces and urine, according to court records.

Raps told police that his wife could not move and had stopped talking. He told authorities that he tried to change his wife's clothes and wipe her with a towel.